You can certainly throw something into actual 3D rendering software and get something similar--if you know how to use it! That's the point. This is a way to go

You can certainly throw something into actual 3D rendering software and get something similar--if you know how to use it! That's the point. This is a way to go straight from DEM to beautiful map, without having to teach yourself Blender or open any external program. You can go straight from matrix to map in just a few lines of code--and adjusting each layer to match the aesthetic you're after is easy. Everything here is produced and adjustable programmatically: need to change the highlight color in the texture? Just use the create_texture function with the colors. Want to tone down raytraced shadows? Decrease the max_darken value in add_shadow. Rotate the sun direction or the color of the water? It's all straightforward. This library is designed to be as seamless and flexible as possible, so you never have to leave R to produce a nice looking map.